PTI Founder Imran Khan sentenced to 14 years in prison in £190 million reference case

Tamseela Akhtar

Jan 17, 2025 — 1 min read

The Accountability Court of Islamabad has sentenced Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Founder Imran Khan to 14 years in prison and Rs1 million fine after finding him guilty in the £190 million reference case.

Imran’s wife, Bushra Bibi, has been sentenced to 7 years in prison and a Rs0.5 million fine.

The court has ordered the confiscation of land belonging to Al-Qadir University.

The verdict in the reference case was announced by Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana at Adiala Jail.

The reference includes absconding suspects such as Malik Riaz, Ali Riaz, Farhat Shehzadi, Shehzad Akbar, Zulfi Bukhari, and Zia-ul-Mustafa Naseem. The court has issued permanent arrest warrants for the absconding accused.

Deputy Director of NAB, Mian Umar Nadeem, the investigation officer in the 190-million-pound reference case, was also present at Adiala Jail.

The trial for this high-profile case was completed on December 18, 2024. However, the verdict announcement has been delayed three times. Initially scheduled for December 23, 2024, it was postponed to January 6 and then to January 13 due to various reasons, including the accused’s absence. On January 14, the court issued a written order setting January 17 as the date for the final decision.

Judge Nasir Javed Rana has arrived at Adiala Jail to deliver the verdict. However, the defense lawyers and some members of the NAB prosecution team have yet to reach the venue. Among those who have arrived are three NAB prosecutors: Irfan Ahmed, Sohail Arif, and Owais Arshad.

Absence of the Accused

Bushra Bibi has not yet arrived at Adiala Jail to hear the verdict. However, her daughter and son-in-law have reached the jail to attend the proceedings.

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